US Army hoverbike takes off

The US Army has unveiled and flight-tested a working hoverbike prototype meant to deliver supplies to battlefronts, serving as a flying workhorse for US troops.

On January 10, US Department of Defense officials participated in a live demonstration of an unmanned quadcopter drone based on hoverbike designs by UK-based Malloy Aeronautics Ltd in partnership with the US Army Research Laboratory (ARL) following years of development.

Malloy Aeronautics has been developing a single-seater, turbofan-powered quadrocopter that enables its user to float in the air while riding it like a motorbike—not unlike the hoverbikes featured in the movie, Star Wars: Return of the Jedi.

However, since 2015, the US Army has been taking a serious interest in the company's work. This has resulted in an unmanned version of the hoverbike, meant for deployment in battlefields.

Dubbed the Joint Tactical Aerial Resupply Vehicle (JTARV), the prototype drone has a payload capacity of 300 pounds (136 kg) but is envisioned to carry up to 800 pounds (363 kg) up to a distance of 125 miles (201 km).

"Anywhere on the battlefield, Soldiers can potentially get resupplied in less than 30 minutes," Tim Vong, associate chief of ARL's Protection Division, was quoted as saying.

Vong likened the setup to a similar civilian service provided by e-commerce company Amazon, which is developing a drone-based package delivery system of its own. 

"We're also looking to integrate advanced intelligent navigation and mission planning. We're looking to end up with a modular, stable platform that can be used for even more dynamic and challenging missions," Vong added. — GMA News